Dr. Elisha Cook ND

Allergen-Free Banana Muffin and Bread Recipe

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Finding recipes safe for those with food sensitivities or allergies can be quite tricky. Though bananas can be a trigger food for some individuals, this recipe takes an old favourite and makes it relatively tolerable for most individuals. This recipe is void of your traditional flours, eggs, and dairy! Try it for yourself and see how it measures up.

Banana Muffin Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of Brown Rice /Almond Flour
  • 1 cup Quinoa flour (gives a moist batter)
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 4 tsp. baking powder/tapioca starch
  • 1 tbsp. chia seeds ground
  • 3 tbsp. water
  • 2/3 cup Coconut Milk
  • 4-5 ripe bananas
  • 2 tbsp. Coconut oil melted
  • Optional: 1 cup of chocolate chips

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Blend and mix together flour, sugar, and baking powder/ tapioca starch.
  • In a separate bowl, take ground chia seeds and water and beat together until gel like consistency. Add in milk, mashed bananas, and melted coconut oil.
  • Combine together your “wet” and “dry” ingredients (i.e. your coconut oil mixture and flour mixture). Stir until well combined. If you want to add chocolate chips, add them at this point.
  • Line your muffin cups with muffin baking cups or grease your pan, and add approximately 1/4 cup of batter to each cup.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
  • Yield: 12-16 muffins

Banana Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of Brown Rice /Almond Flour
  • ¾ cup Quinoa flour (gives a moist batter)
  • 2 tsp. baking powder/tapioca starch
  • ¼ tsp. baking soda/tapioca starch
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp. chia seeds ground
  • 6 tbsp. water
  • 4-5 ripe bananas

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Blend and mix together flour, baking powder/ tapioca starch, and baking soda/ tapioca starch.
  • In a separate bowl, cream coconut oil and gradually beat in sugar.
  • In another bowl, take ground chia seeds and water and beat together until gel like consistency. Add this mixture to your coconut oil and sugar mix combining well.
  • Combine together your “wet” and “dry” ingredients (i.e. your coconut oil mixture and flour mixture).
  • Finally add in 4-5 ripe, well mashed bananas to mixture.
  • Pour your mixture into a 9” by 5” loaf ban that has been lined with parchment paper and let sit for 20 minutes.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes or until cooked through.

Have you benefited from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in trying any of our services, working with any of our amazing practitioners, or are simply wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact the Plattsville Natural Health Clinic by calling 226-232-7665 and book your appointment today! 

Expanding our Naturopathic Availability!

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We are so excited to be welcoming Derika Nauta, a student clinical intern from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) to PNHC. During her time with us, we will be offering reduced fees for naturopathic consults provided through her under the supervision of Dr. Elisha Cook ND (our naturopathic doctor). If you have been meaning to see a Naturopathic Doctor and are needing a bit of a financial break after Christmas, now would be the time to get it!

Derika will be seeing patients Thursdays from 9:00am – 3:30pm. Book your appointment by calling/texting the clinic at 226-232-7665, or by sending us a message through the contact portion of this website. For more information about Derika, see her bio below for more details!

ABOUT DERIKA

Derika, being a local, has grown up in the Woodstock/Tavistock area. You might recognize her as she has remained involved in her community, having represented the community as both the Tavistock Fall Fair Ambassador as well as the local (Oxford) and provincial-level “Queen of the Furrow”. Derika was also actively involved in the Plattsville Figure Skating Club as both a skater and coach.

Derika completed her undergraduate degree at Western University, receiving a Bachelors in Honours Specialization in Health Sciences and Biology. She is currently completing her clinical internship at the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic (RSNC) in Toronto, along with her training at CCNM. Following receiving her license, Derika hopes to practice in our area to provide for the community she has received so much support from.

Have you benefited from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in any of the above therapies to help you work through stress and are wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact the Plattsville Natural Health Clinic by calling 226-232-7665 and book your appointment today! 

Earthing/Grounding

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Blog Written by Dr Elisha Cook ND

If you are a patient of mine, you may have heard me explain this concept. In all reality, what comes to mind when someone uses these words is “hippy”, “Tree-hugger”, and “New – Age”; when the concepts are much more advanced than that.

Earthing or Grounding is described as the act connecting the body with the earth to cause a grounding or electrically balanced state. Ultimately, it revolves around grounding physics, similar to when we think about electricity in our home and grounding it. The intention of earthing or grounding is really for therapeutic gain. You might ask how reconnecting with the earth would cause any health benefits, but there is a fair amount of research that shows that this type of exercise can prove to be physiologically advantageous (i.e. it’s good for your health!).

What are the Health Benefits of Earthing or Grounding?

When we look at the research behind earthing or grounding, we see some pretty remarkable changes to ones physiology.

  • Changes in white blood cells (immune system) (1)
  • Changes in cytokines (inflammation) (1)
  • Reduces blood viscosity and clumping (Cardiovascular) (2)
  • Reduces cortisol (stress hormone) (3)
  • Normalizes circadian rhythm (sleep) (3)
  • Improves circulation (4)
  • Mobilizes glucose and muscular uptake (Energy exertion and recovery) (5)

These physiological changes can translate to

  • Reduced muscle soreness onset post injury (1)
  • Reduced pain (1)
  • Reduces risk of cardiovascular events (2)
  • Reduced Stress (3)
  • Improved Sleep (3)
  • Improved Mood (6)
  • Increased Relaxation (6)
  • Improved energy with physical exertion (5)

How can I Earth or Ground?

When we say “reconnecting” with the earth, many would believe that this is a weird or exhaustive process when in all reality there are some very ways to reconnect with the earth that might actually already be apart of your everyday life.

  • Walking barefoot in the grass
  • Standing bare foot in the grass
  • Lying with skin exposed on the ground
  • Swimming in a pond, river, lake, ocean, etc.
  • Having a shower
  • Washing your hands

I will often suggest to patients that really any amount of time is better than nothing. The research is pretty mixed on the length of time needed to produce a benefit, but again, anything is better than nothing. 

Have you benefited from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in any of the above therapies to help you work through your health concerns and are wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact the Plattsville Natural Health Clinic by calling 226-232-7665 and book your appointment today! 

References:

  1. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/James_Oschman/publication/274644091_The_effects_of_grounding_earthing_on_inflammation_the_immune_response_wound_healing_and_prevention_and_treatment_of_chronic_inflammatory_and_autoimmune_diseases/links/555b14d708ae6fd2d8286cd1.pdf
  2. http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2011.0820
  3. “The effect of earthing (grounding) on human physiology”. Gaetan Chevalier, Kazuhito Mori, and James L. Oshman. European Biology and Bioelectromagnetics Jan 31 2006; 600-621.
  4. http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?paperID=58836
  5. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Zbigniew_Jastrzebski/publication/302590367_Earthing_modulates_glucose_and_erythrocytes_metabolism_in_exercise/links/5731e05a08ae298602da2942.pdf
  6. http://encompass.eku.edu/swps/2016/undergraduate/15/

COVID-19 PNHC Update

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The health and safety of our patients and community is of utmost importance and always will be. As a result of the current state of our province, and the strong recommendations of our governing bodies, Plattsville Natural Health Clinic and all of its practitioners are post-poning all appointments until further notice, effective March 18, 2020. All of our practitioners will be available through email contact if you need their support, a tele-health visit, or to clarify previous treatment recommendations. We will also have some supplements available as needed for our existing patients, where pick up can be arranged. We will be able to answer any phone calls to the clinic and direct you as needed. Please contact us at 226-232-7665 or email us at info.pnhc@gmail.com for any inquiries.

If you have had an appointment booked within the next couple of weeks, we will contact you as your appointment comes up and update you if we are able to see you or if we need to reschedule. We are monitoring the situation on a day-by-day basis in order to minimize treatment and service disruption to you our valued patients.

As a small business, this was a very hard decision to come to and it was not made lightly. We want to thank you for understanding and supporting us in making this difficult decision. Thank you for supporting your local health care clinic and we look forward to helping you achieve your health goals as soon as possible.